


i'm hopeless, broken (so you wait for me in the sky)

by fowlbyname45



Series: Artemis Fowl requests from Tumblr [4]
Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Artemis needs love, Best friend fluff, Gen, One Shot, Touch-Starved, not Hartemis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fowlbyname45/pseuds/fowlbyname45
Summary: When Holly Short visits Fowl Manor for the day, she finds out that her best friend needs to be hugged more.(Request from xxfanenbyanonymousxx on Tumblr!)
Relationships: Artemis Fowl II & Holly Short
Series: Artemis Fowl requests from Tumblr [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075481
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	i'm hopeless, broken (so you wait for me in the sky)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm soft :') if you have any ideas for af one shots/headcanon posts, feel free to hit up my ask box on my tumblr (sophieisdone45)!

Artemis wasn’t exactly used to affection, especially physical affection like hugging or hand-holding. The most endearment he had gotten from his father was a handshake from a business partner or begrudging words of respect, and while his mother was more comfortable with that sort of thing than his father, he sometimes felt like she only hugged him when he had accomplished something she wanted. 

Once the twins were born, he got a little more warmth from them, and while he loved them dearly, Myles began closing himself off from him as he got older and Beckett seemed to not be able to sit still for more than a few moments. This lack of affection was something Artemis tried not to think about too much. He didn’t need tenderness or familiarity from anyone; he was just fine on his own. There were far more important things to focus on.

Today, Holly was visiting Fowl Manor - just as a social visit for once. She had gotten a visa from Commander Trouble, and decided there was no better way to use it than seeing her favorite Mud Men. She had flown to the surface, happy to feel the fresh air on her face. That never got old, no matter how many times she visited. Holly had called Artemis ahead of time to let her know she was coming, and called him again now to tell him she’d arrived.

“Hey Artemis, I’m here. Mind letting me in?”

“Of course, I’ll be there in just a moment,” Artemis said, coming to the door and undoing all the security measures necessary, including the keycode locks. When that was done and he opened the door, Holly gave him a grin and said “What have you been up to lately, Mud Boy? Not getting into any trouble I hope?”

Artemis let out some air through his nose in a sort of scoff. “When have  _ I _ ever gotten into any trouble?”

Holly laughed a little, tilting her head to look at him better. “You? Never.”

“You would like to come in I presume?” Artemis said, walking through the door and motioning for her to do the same. The elf nodded and started in after him. 

“What about you, Holly? How have you been?” the Irish boy asked as they made their way through the foyer towards the sitting room.

“Oh, you know, the usual. Just trying not to let things down in Haven become too much of a disaster. Where’s Butler? I’ve missed the big guy,” Holly said as she took off her wings (Hummingbird Z9s, the latest model thanks to Foaly).

“He should be here in a moment or two; I believe he was making tea last time I checked.”

Holly nodded as her and her friend sat down; a few brief moments later Butler came in with a tea tray, smiling. “Hello, Holly. It’s good to see you.”

“Hi Butler! It’s good to see you too.”

Butler offered her a cup of the tea he had brought in. “Would you like some?”

“Sure,” Holly said, accepting the teacup and taking a sip of the soothing liquid. “So how are my favorite Mud Men?” the LEP officer asked, an impish - or rather elfish - gleam in her eyes.

“We’re doing just fine, for the most part,” Butler replied. “Juliet’s on a day trip with the twins to wind down for a bit and Artemis’s parents are at a mental health conference in the city.”

Holly nodded, giving him a small smile. “Tell Jules I said hi, okay?”

Butler grinned back. “Of course.”

***

Some time (and some competitive rounds of Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride) later, Holly checked the time and realized she needed to get back to Haven - Trouble had let her go see her friends easily, but staying more than the couple of hours she had already been at the Manor might not be quite so simple. 

“Well guys, I’ve got to go back now,” she said, standing up from the table. “I’ve enjoyed this though. We need to do it more often.” Holly put back on the wings she had taken off once she had gotten inside, and flew up to Butler’s considerable height to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. Butler wrapped his own larger arms gently around her torso, hugging back.

“You’re right, we definitely need to do this more often,” he said, trying to hide his smile.

Holly replenished her grip and flashed Butler one last grin before moving over to Artemis. “Hey Mud Boy,” she said affectionately, raising to his height (which was admittedly much less than Butler’s) and giving him his own hug. 

Artemis’s heart rate increased a little. He wasn’t used to this, but it felt...nice. When Holly let go after a few moments and got a proper look at his face, she seemed a little concerned.

“Are you okay, Arty? You seem a little off…”

“Oh, yes, I’m...fine.”

Holly furrowed her brow a bit. “D’Arvit, did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not. It’s just...well, I’m not used to people...hugging me like that.”

The LEP officer’s face softened. “Oh, Artemis. I’m so sorry. I didn’t...well, I guess I didn’t realize how shitty your childhood must’ve been if you aren’t used to people giving you affection.”

Artemis felt his throat constrict and his vision got a little blurrier than usual. “Well, I’m...I’m glad you did.”

Holly smiled at him sadly. “Do you want me to do it again?”

The boy nodded, and as the elf hugged him once more, she vowed to never let him go without something he needed ever again.


End file.
